Manchester City are set to step up their interest in Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte with a bid of €42m.
According to AS, the Blues have already made their interest in the 20-year-old centre-back known and are ready to go head-to-head with Arsenal and Chelsea to secure his services this summer.
The French Under-21 international has a contract with the Basques until 2018, one that has already been renewed twice under President Josu Urrutia, although it is understood he would be open to a move to the Premier League despite having declared his happiness in Bilbao.
However, Manchester United are also interested in the player and could enlist the services of former teammate Ander Herrera in a bid to lure him to Old Trafford.
Herrera is a good friend of Laporte from his time at San Mames and recently congratulated him on having signed a sponsorship deal with a Adidas, a brand they now both share, fuelling rumours the Frenchman may be about to join Louis van Gaal’s revolution at the club.
Agen-born Laporte joined Athletic’s youth system in 2010 from Aviron Bayonnais, making his debut in November 2012 in a Europa League game against Hapeol Ironi Kiryat Shmona, and is only the second Frenchman to play for the club after Bixente Lizarazu.
